Getaway Driver Found Guilty Of Murder In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A jury convicted a Bloomfield man for taking part in the slaying of a Newark resident who worked at a gas station in Irvington, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

An Essex County jury found Lamar Sommers, 36, of Bloomfield, guilty of several charges in connection with the murder of Jahque Benbow, 23, of Newark, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors released the following statement about the shooting that led to Benbow’s death:

“On May 11, 2022, Sommers, along with two unidentified males, conspired to shoot Benbow at the Irvington gas station where he worked. Sommers drove the two males to Irvington, where he dropped them off a block from the station. The two males shot the victim five times while Sommers waited in the car. Sommers, who left New Jersey shortly after the murder, was subsequently apprehended in North Carolina on June 16, 2022.”

Following an eight-day trial in Superior Court, jury members convicted Sommers of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4. Sommers faces a minimum of 30 years in New Jersey state prison, prosecutors said.

“When you plan and participate in a murder, you are responsible for the consequences – even if you don’t pull the trigger,” said Assistant Prosecutor F. Garnes, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Jenna Ventola.

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